True Joy

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee (Psalm 5:11).

Joy is one of those abstract nouns that's hard to define. My Encarta ® World English Dictionary says it's "great happiness: feelings of great happiness or pleasure, especially of an elevated or spiritual kind." To me, happiness comes because of pleasing circumstances and it's often temporary, but joy is a state of being, a lifestyle that comes from a strong faith and closeness to God.

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full (John 15:11).

The Bible is filled with joy. It appears 165 times in the King James Version. But I've found that the Lord doesn't give me joy; He is my joy. Because of that, my joy isn't dependent on any set of circumstances, any situation, or whether or not something happens. As long as I love and try to obey the Father, have a close personal relationship with the Son, allow the Spirit to fill me and work in my life, I am bursting with joy. 

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore" (Psalm 16:11).

Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance (Acts 2:28).

I know many of you understand what I'm ineptly trying to explain. Yet, until you get a taste of this true joy, it will sound like the ranting of some fanatic. But once you experience it, you will never be satisfied with less. 

...enter thou into the joy of thy Lord (Matthew 25:23).

And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord...(Psalm 35:9).

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A Scene as the Slavery Issue Heats Up

Sown in Dark Soil, my next novel in the Appalachian Series that's at the publisher's now, begins in 1854. Ivy and Leah Morgan have grown up on a plantation in Anson County, North Carolina, but the two sisters couldn't be more different. Ivy is the classic beauty with golden hair, blue eyes, and porcelain skin. She approves of slavery, loves social functions, and is used to the attention of all the men. She expects to get her way using her beauty. Leah has dark brown hair, green eyes, and is pretty but doesn't know it. She loves to learn and enjoys tasks around the plantation. While Ivy is their mother's favorite, Leah is their father's. 

In 1854, the chasm is growing between the North and the South over issues like slavery and states' rights, and the novel reflects both points of view. The following is an excerpt from a sermon given at a church the main characters attend in Salisbury, North Carolina:

Reverend Thompson used Matthew 7:13-14 to say many of those seated in the churches around the world would be flabbergasted one day to learn they'd not made it into heaven. "It's not so much what you do, although that's important," he told them. "The real criteria is that you've accepted Christ into your life and allowed Him to change you. You've got to change your ways and give total control to God, and most of us refuse to give up control. We want to shape our own future. Well, let me tell you, dear folks, God does a much better job of shaping our futures than we do."

"Do you recall when Jesus tried to show the Pharisees their attitudes were warped. They thought they were pious people in God's good graces. They certainly knew the scriptures, practiced all the rituals, and upheld the laws of Moses, but their attitudes were wrong. They were self-righteous and did nothing from a loving heart. How is your heart this morning? Do you love others as much as yourselves? Do you have a servant's heart?

"I truly believe many more of those slaves up there," he pointed to the balcony, "will make it to Heaven than you down here in the fancy clothes and fat pockets. They've been taught to be humble, and they know how to serve. They're more like Jesus than many of you."

There was a hugh gasp from the congregation, and over half of them got up and angrily walked out. Ivy and Francis looked to Dr. Moretz and Luke to see if they would also leave. The men stayed seated.

Did he just say the slaves are better than most of us?" Frances whispered in disbelief.

"I guess that cleared out those who are not serious about following Christ and are just sitting on the premises rather than standing on the promises," the pastor said....

"Well, that will be the end of Reverend Thompson in this church," Frances said, when they entered the Moretz home. "I guess he might be able to find a church up north somewhere."

"I fear you're right," Dr. Moretz said, "but I respect the man more than I can put into words. What a courageous thing to do."

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Dr. Samuel Benjamin Vierling

Sitting on a hill overlooking the Moravian town of Salem, North Carolina, the Vierling House was the largest private residence in Salem at the time it was built. Dr. Vierling and his wife Martha lived here with their children.

Dr. Samuel Benjamin Vierling had received his medical training in Berlin, Germany. He accepted Salem's invitation to settle there as their doctor in 1790. He also ran an apothecary from his home and maintained his own herb garden.

He had been born into a family of devout Lutherans, but he became friends with members of the Moravian Church while he was in college and decided to join them. He wrote to the Unity Elders Conference asking that he be allowed to serve one of the German congregations, but he was sent to be the physician in Salem in the American frontier.

Dr. Vierling had first married Anna Bagge, and they had one daughter, Maria Rosina. To Dr. Vierling's deep sorry, Anna died of scarlet fever just five days before their second wedding anniversary. Left with a six-month old daugher, four months later, Dr. Vierling asked permission to marry Martha Miksch, whose father owned the tobacco shop in town. The couple married a month later, and they had three sons and five daughters.

In my historical novel, Cleared for Planting, Clifton considers staying in Salem as their doctor when he visits his sister there not long after he and Sarah are married. Dr. Vierling is an old man at this time. However, since the Moravians tended to be a rather closed group, and because he didn't want to appear to be waiting for Dr. Vierling to pass away, he decides to move on.

To tour the Vierling House, visit Old Salem in Winston Salem, NC.

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Cruising

If you've been reading my posts for a few months, you may have gotten the idea that I like to travel, and you would be correct. I love to learn, and, in my opinion, this is one of the best ways. I have gone to all 50 U.S. states, and about 40 other countries.

When I was single, I quickly discovered that cruise ships were a safe, convenient way to go. Most of them are reasonably priced, when you consider how much you would have to pay for the package - transportation, room, meals, and entertainment - otherwise. The fabulous meals alone would be worth a fortune if you paid for them individually in a restaurant. Some cruises have been better than others, but I have enjoyed them all - all 14 of them. Yes, I've been on 14 cruises to date. One when my family was young, three with my children, 6 as a single woman, and 4 with my husband, Jim.

To date I have sailed with four cruise lines. Premier was a smaller company that went bankrupt several years ago. I've also gone Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian. The bargain hunter in me looks for the best deals. The last three cruises came in 2012, when Jim and I did a Mediterranean cruise, in 2013 I went to New England and Eastern Canada with my son, and in 2014 Jim and I cruised Alaska for our tenth anniversary.

If you're thinking about a summer vacation, I'd recommend that you check into a cruise. Don't be alarmed by the media publicity of problems in the last few years. In all 14 of my cruises, I've never encountered a problem from the ship or cruise line. I think it is one of the safest, hassle-free ways to travel. Like a retreat, you can tune out problems and stress and just enjoy the trip.

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Town Creek Indian Mound

A visitor enters through the guard tower, an entrance so narrow that only one person at a time can go through. It, as well as the buildings, are made with wattle-and-daub plaster. When the Indians dwelt there, a guard would also stand lookout atop the tower.

The town house is situated on an impressive mound. As the first buildings fell in and was filled in to provide a flat surface to build a new building, the mound grew. These structures served as the ceremonial and political center of the town. Important religious ceremonies were held here.

The mortuary served as living quarters for an extended clan family, as well as a resting place for their dead. At one time, at least ten such buildings dotted Town  Creek.

Some of the huts were simple residences. The East Lodge sits next to the Little River as an example of these. The town hosted meetings, games, feasts, marriage announcements, dances, and other activities.

Many different groups resided at Town Creek over the decades, but perhaps the most noted one is the South Appalachian Mississippian Culture. This Pee Dee group of Woodland Indians differed from the more northern mound builders, who made their mounds for burial purposes.

Today Town Creek is a State Historic Site located in Montgomery County, North Carolina. It's free and open to the public Tuesday - Saturday 9 am - 5 pm and on Sunday 1 - 5 pm, except on holidays. 

910-439-6802
www.towncreekindianmound.com
towncreek@ncdcr.gov

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First Witch Hanging in America

When we think of witch trials and punishment, most of us likely think of Salem, Massachusetts. However, the first recorded witch hanging in America actually took place in Hartford, Connecticut on May 26, 1647.

We know very little about Alse (Alice) Young, other than she was executed as a witch. There is some evidence she may have been the wife of John Young, who bought a plot of land in Windsor in 1641. He sold his land in 1649 and then disappeared from the town records. Alse Young had a daughter, who was accused of witchcraft some 30 years later but no son. That meant she would have been eligible to inherit her husband's estate. This seems to have occurred in many of the early cases of witchcraft.

No details have been left of the trial or exact charges. Historical records have led some historians to believe there was some sort of widespread illness in Windsor in 1647, but it's uncertain if charges against Alse Young had anything to do with this. Two separate records do show that she was hanged on this day in 1647 at the Meeting House in the town square in Hartford for being a witch.

Witchcraft had become punishable by death in the colony of Connecticut in 1642. This crime was removed from the list of capital offenses in  1750.

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Remembering a Common WW II Soldier

Eugene Floyd Cole was drafted into the United States Army in 1941. He had been born December 5, 1919, in the Meat Camp community of Watauga County, North Carolina. His father owned a sawmill and the family moved around in Watauga and Ashe Counties to harvest the timber. During the Great Depression, his father bought a five-hundred acre farm in Wilkes County, when the land prices had hit bottom, and the family moved there.

Gene did his basic training in Fort Benning, Georgia. He spent a little time in Puerto Rico, but the bulk of his service came fighting the Japanese in the Pacific. He served in places like the Philippines (especially on the southern island of Mindanao), New Guinea, Corregidor, and Guam. 

One day he was walking through a field when a little girl saw him, became frightened, and turned to run. She stepped on a mine and was blown up. He would had been headed on that exact same path. At another time, he saw his best friend shot to pieces at his side. These two incidents always bothered him.

Private Cole was given the opportunity to train for anti-aircraft. He would have loved this, but he found he didn't have the math background needed. His parents had asked him quit school in the eighth grade, so he could work full-time at the sawmill.

While on furlough, he married his girlfriend, Geneva Greene, by meeting her in York, South Carolina, because it was easier to obtain a marriage license there. The war ended about a year later. When Gene came home, he broke every trinket in the house that said, "Made in Japan." He didn't want any reminders around.

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Just Getting By

Are we becoming a society that is satisfied with just getting by? Sometimes I wonder. Except where money and material possessions are concerned, I think it might be true.

I know when I taught, too many students seemed to have this attitude. They didn't really care about how much they learned or how well they did - as long as they didn't fail the course. When I recently picked up some classes at a nearby university, just for the love of learning, that seemed to be the case with many college students, too. I've often said that education is an area where people want to be cheated. They like easy and good grades over challenging and learning. They don't want to get their money's worth.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord... (Colossians 3:23).

A lot of workers seemed to have absorbed this attitude. They want to take home a good paycheck, but they don't want to do much to earn it. I've always found that the more effort I pour into something, the more satisfaction I get from it, and the better I like it. If I put forth little effort, I don't feel good about it.

This is also true with our churches and our faith. Do you find yourself just going through the motions of church? Do you cringe at the thoughts of someone asking you to take a leadership role, teach a Sunday school class or Bible study, or take part in some committee or project? If God calls you to do something, He wants you to rely on Him and not yourself, and He doesn't call anyone that He doesn't give them what they need. Look at Moses. He tried to tell God He wasn't equipped to go to Pharaoh and ask him to free the Israelites. He really felt reluctant at first, but look at what great and mighty things God did through him. Are you missing out on things God wants to do with you? Does your spiritual life seem dry and dusty? I've met people who have told me they've been saved; they've done what they needed to in order to go to heaven when they die, so they don't need to do anything else. I wonder. James did, too.

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:20).

God didn't make us to just get by. He wants us to live a committed, surrendered, joyous, and rewarding life, close to him and showered with His blessings. Are you living the abundant life God's planned for you, or are you just getting by? This is your one life on earth; make it count.

...I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

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Why I Write Christian Fiction

At a recent interview, I was asked why I choose to write Christian fiction, instead of for the more popular secular market. The answer is multi-faceted and more complicated than it would first appear. It is intertwined with who I am and what I see as important in my life.

One of the main reasons I write Christian novels is that I view my writing as a gift from and blessing of God. When I look at my roots and where I came from, it is a miracle that I learned to love language and am able to write and publish a book. Since God gave me this love of writing, I want to use it to glorify His name and further His kingdom. This is also why I donate all my profits to Christian charities. May God use my writing as it pleases Him, and may I always write what is pleasing to Him.

I would like for my books to touch people in a special way. I want them to come away encouraged, enriched, and feeling they've discovered or been reminded of some important truth. I cringe at some of the books I see. I don't know how someone would want their name on a book filled with profanity; steamy, explicit sex scenes; or blood and gore. I want to write books that I can be proud of, even when my grandchildren read them.

I write Christian books, because my faith is a big part of who I am. At this point in my life, I think it would take more thought and be much harder for me to write a secular book than a Christian book. Although I have other manuscripts, I chose the series now coming into print to be first, because my roots are in Appalachia, my love is with history, and my heart and soul belong to Christ.

God has blessed me in so many ways and been with me through all the valleys and over all the rough terrain. He means everything to me. The better question is how could I not write Christian fiction?

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Stocks and Pillories

Stocks

Stocks and pillories were a form of Medieval, Renaissance, and Colonial punishment. The culprit was locked into a position for a certain amount of time, which became very uncomfortable. The device was usually made from wood with holes cut to secure either the head, hands, feet, or any combination. This form of punishment was also meant to humiliate.

Pillory

In addition other forms of abuse might be rendered while the person was secured in the device. Leaders hoped that seeing someone in such a position would serve as a deterrent to others.

Although they're often used as synonyms, technically stocks and pillories are different. Stocks always secure the feet and sometimes the hands, as well. The pillory usually locked down the head and hands, but not the feet. A person sat in the stocks but stood for the pillory. In Germany, a similar device was called a "pranger." No matter what it was called, however, it wasn't something you'd want to experience.

In the pillory

  

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Bodie Lighthouse

Bodie Island Lighthouse

As part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on North Carolina's Outer Banks and a few miles south of Nags Head, Bodie Island Lighthouse welcomes visitors. This structure was built in 1872. The one built in 1847 was abandoned in 1859 because of a faulty foundation, and it's location is now under water. Another one was built that same year, but it was destroyed in 1861 by retreating Confederate troops who were afraid the Yankees would use it as a lookout tower.

Renovations were started on the current lighthouse in 2009, but some other issues and Hurricane Irene interrupted it in 2011. The work was resumed in 2012 and completed in 2013, allowing visitors to climb up into the lighthouse.

Hatteras Lighthouse

Perhaps because of its more famous neighbor, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, sometimes Bodie gets skipped. At times it almost seems to be in the taller lighthouse's shadow. Bodie is shorter, and its black and white stripes run horizontally instead of diagonally, like the ones on Hatteras. However, in my opinion one can never see too many lighthouses, and Bodie is certainly worth a visit.

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National Pick Your Own Strawberries Day

May 20th is National Pick Your Own Strawberries Day. Although the strawberry crop may be waning in the Deep South, they're at their peak in many parts of the country. However, some won't be ready until June. Of course, it all depends on what the weather has been like, and that varies from year to year.

Strawberries are rich in vitamin C and have many health benefits. For more information about strawberries and their benefits, see my May 6 blog. By picking them in the fields, you'll get a better price, fresher berries, and more exercise. I love them on cereal, in yogurt, by themselves, and as strawberry shortcake. Home canned strawberry preserves is special too. Here's my recipe:

Strawberry Preserves

Wash, hull, and dice strawberries, so you have 3 & 3/4 cups. Add 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon of margarine (to prevent foaming) and 7 cups sugar. Bring to a boil that cannot be stirred down. Add 1 3-ounce pouch of liquid pectin. Continue a hard boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Ladle into clean jars. Add lids that has been kept in slow boiling water. Tighten rings. Process in a hot water bath for 10 - 15 minutes. Boiling water should entirely cover the jars. Remove and allow to cool to seal.

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Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne died on this day in 1864 at the age of 59. He was born in Salem Massachusetts in 1804 and lived much of his childhood in Raymond, Maine. One of his ancestors, John Hathorne, was the only judge at the Salem Witch Trials who never repented of his decisions. Nathaniel, ashamed of this, added the "w" to his name to hide the relation. He attended Bowdoin College along with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. At the age of 38, he married the painter and illustrator, Sophia Peabody, who was 33. Theirs was a love match, and they admired each other greatly. Sophia had suffered severe headaches that confined her to bed, but marriage seemed to have cured them.

Sophia Peabody Hawthorne

The couple first lived in an old manse in Concord, Massachusetts, and Ralph Waldo Emerson was their neighbor. However, both Nathaniel and Sophia tended to be shy and never became an integral part of the writer's social network. They had three children, two daughters and a son. The Hawthornes lived in various places in New England, including Boston. 

Nathaniel Hawthorne not long before his death

As the Civil War raged, Nathaniel's health began to fail. Experiencing severe stomach pain, he assured Sophia that a trip with his friend, Franklin Pierce, would be good for him. He died on the trip in his sleep on May 19, 1864. Sophia was so devastated she needed someone else to plan the funeral.

Nathaniel was mainly a short story writer, but he did also complete several novels, including The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables. He is often considered one of the early American authors of note, and his works have become classics.

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The Cupola House

A distinctive Early American home stands in the historic town of Edenton, North Carolina. The Cupola House was built in 1758 by Francis Corbin, who was a land agent for John Carteret, the Earl of Granville and one of the last Lord Proprietors given vast land grants by King Charles II. After Corbin died, Samuel Dickinson purchased the house, and his descendants lived in it for over 150 years.

This house is said to be the most studied building in North Carolina, and some believe it to be the finest example of Jacobean architecture south of Massachusetts. Some of the design features of the house puzzle historians, however. The overhang jetty had gone out of style almost a hundred years before the Cupola House was built, and yet it's used here. The lantern cupola is also unusually large. The Georgian moldings above the doors and fireplaces go all the way to the ceiling. And, the second floor hall and a window are not aligned quite correctly according to construction of that day. Still, it's a breathtaking 
house.

The house eventually fell into disrepair, but citizens rallied to restore it around the turn of the century. Some of the furnishings are original, since the Dickinson family lived there so long, and certain items were kept. The gardens are also quite lovely, especially during growing seasons. Today the Cupola House stands proudly as a testimony to earlier times. 

For more information you can emal: CUPOLAHOUSE1@GMAIL.COM
It's located at 408 Broad Street, Edenton, NC 2793
Tour tickets can be purchased at the Edenton Vistor Center

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